Ra's Black Book
by Ryou-Ran
Summary: This is a story about Ryou and Yugi who end up in a magical book called "Ra's Black Book". They, their Yamis and the souls from their past must pass lots of trials, or they'll all die... Lots of blood and torture. No Yaoi.
1. Default Chapter

Well, the story I began earlier doesn't go so well... I'll finish it anayway, but I decided to begin a new story already. Yugi and Ryou end up inside a magical book called "Ra's Black Book", where their souls are seperated from those of their Yamis and the souls from their past. In order to get freed they will have to do some kind of trial.

Ryou: A trial? But I've just done a Science-test!

Ryou-Ran: But this is going to be a different kind of trial, Ryou, don't worry.

Ryou: (is curious) What kind of trial then?

Ryou-Ran: The usual thing, with lots of blood and those things...

Ryou: --" Worry.

Yami Bakura: You know, the dog just said the eggs are getting really warm.

Ryou-Ran: Hikari Lunar, you mean. Well, I guess they'll hatch soon.

Yami Bakura: (innocently) The warmer, the better, huh?

Ryou-Ran: Yes, indeed.

Yami Bakura: (holds a skillet) What if I ly them in some boiling water? They would hatch sooner, I guess.

Ryou-Ran: (Death-glare)

Yami Bakura: OO"

Ryou-Ran: (snatches skillet out of Yami Bakura's hand) And now you are going to eat this skillet whole!

Yami Bakura: OO" Whaaat?

Ryou: OO"

Ryou-Ran: Go on! There's salt and pepper on the table.

Yami Bakura:(grabs iron-saw, leaves)

Ryou-Ran: Okay, Ryou, will you do the disclaimer?

Ryou: Of course. Ahem...

Miho: Oh, Ryooooouuuu!

Ryou: OO (pales, runs away)

Miho: Isn't Bakura-San here? I'm sure I saw him running away.

Ryou-Ran: Yes, uh... he got sick! You know... puking, sweating, those things. (to herself) Now I can do the disclaimer all by myself again.

Disclaimer: Ryou-Ran does not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Ra's black book

History class. Every student found it boring, but this day two pupils were paying extra attention. The subject of the lesson was ancient Egypt. Yugi Muto and Ryou Bakura both knew they had Egyptian roots and were both interested. Joey, Tristan and Téa, on the other hand were being a few pests to the teacher and Miho was only paying attention to Ryou, much to Tristan's annoyance.

"Wheeler, Taylor, Gardner!"the teacher suddenly bellowed. "You will stay in detention today!" The whole class looked up in shock. Most of them had been in a semi-conscious state, Yugi and Ryou had both been penning things down and the sudden outburst of the teacher had startled them. Joey and Tristan grumbled something and Téa sat back with a surly expression on her face. The teacher went to stand between Ryou and Yugi and lay her hands on their backs. "These two boys at least show what working is like."she said. Yugi smiled, but Ryou turned red and hid his face behind his hair. Miho sent her friends an "Isn't he just perfect and so modest?" look.

"The day after tomorrow we will go visit a museum about Egypt."the teacher said. Smiles spread across Ryou's and Yugi's faces. "Maybe you will get interested by that a little more."

When the bell rang everybody exept Téa, Joey and Tristan wanted to leave the room. Ryou walked besides Yugi, but suddenly someone "slipped" and grabbed his hair for support. "OW!"Ryou cried as his head was jerked to the left. "Sorry, I slipped."the boy who had grabbed it loudly said, but then he whispered "_Slimeball_!" with his mouth close to wherever he thought Ryou's ear would be. He pulled Ryou's hair again and shouldered him out of the way. Yugi had seen him. "What's his problem?"he asked. Ryou rubbed the side of his head. "I do not have a clue."he said. "Oh, Bakura-San, did he hurt you?"a voice came. Ryou stretched his back with a start. "Uhh, no, Miho, I'm fine."he said. He wanted to leave, but Miho wanted to leave too and they got stuck with their shoulders in the door. "Ungh!"Ryou uttered. "Oh!"Miho said. It was, of course, her intention to get stuck. "Wait, this does not work."Ryou said, and stood back. "Why don't you go first." But Miho had different plans. "No, _you_ go first."she sang. They wanted to leave the same time and again got stuck in the door. Téa completely cracked up.

"I'll go first."Miho said and wrenched herself through the door and past Ryou, holding his arms so she wouldn't fall. When she had left Ryou let out a sigh of relief. "Thas was scary!"he said. Yugi stifled a chuckle in his small hand. "I'm kind of exited about the visit to the museum."he said. "I think I'll alert Yami too. He'll like being surrounded by things from his past." Ryou nodded and smiled. "Where are you going now?"Yugi asked. Ryou looked at him. "Home."he said. "I don't know..." Yugi grabbed his arm. "Why don't you go to the Turtle Game Shop with me?"he asked. "Grandpa just got a delivery of new cards!" A little spark lit up in Ryou's dark eyes. "New cards?"he asked. "Wow! I'll go with you!" Ryou loved playing all kinds of games. Together they went to the toy shop.

After Ryou had bought himself a new upgrade pack Yugi took him to his room to drink some tea. As they drank, Yugi suddenly heard a long yawn. He looked up. Ryou was drinking his tea with a pink raised. "Did you yawn?"he asked. "No."Ryou said. "Did you hear someone yawn?" Yugi looked down at his Millennium Puzzle. "Oh, it was Yami."he said. The Puzzle began to glow and Yami formed a temporary body. He looked sleepy. "Hello, Yami."Ryou said. Yami yawned again. "Hello, Bakura-Kun."he said. And after a peak into Ryou's cup: "What are you drinking?" "Tea."Yugi said. "Do you want some?" Yami nodded. "I'll get some."Ryou said. "Yugi can't go too far away from you." He went to get a new cup of tea.

"Hey, Yami, there is something Bakura-Kun and I want to tell you."Yugi said as Ryou came in again. Yami accepted the tea, took an enormous swig and burned his mouth. "Be careful, it's hot."Ryou warned him a little too late. "Thank you."Yami said with as much dignity as he could bring up with a burned tongue. "We are going to visit a museum the day after tomorrow."Yugi said. Yami took such a tiny sip of his tea that Ryou muffled a chuckle in his hand. "Really?"the Yami asked, not very interested. "It's about Egypt."Yugi said. "PPPPPFFFFFFTT!"Yami spat, spraying tea all over Yugi and Ryou's pants. The two boys leapt up. "EH!"Yugi cried. "Egypt?"Yami asked, his eyes lighting up. "That's what I said."Yugi muttered, wiping the tea from his face. Ryou tried to clean his pants a bit. He could hear a thundering laugh that was very familiar to him. He surprised Yugi and Yami by punching himself powerfully in the chest. A vague cry of pain could be heard. "Sorry."he said. "There was a mosquito on my shirt."

Two days later they went to the museum. Yugi and Ryou were both exited. "Keep your eyes open, Yami."Yugi said. "You are going to like this." The class got a tour around the museum and eventually stopped at a table where a big, black book was displayed. "This is what is called "Ra's Black Book"."the guide said. "It was made by an Egyptian wizard about five-thousand years ago, after the death of the Pharaoh that had been reigning." Yugi and Ryou stretched their necks and looked at it. "_Do you know about that book, Yami?_"Yugi asked. "_No._"Yami said. "_But she said it was made after my death, remember?_" The guide took the book in her hands. "You can see it has been conserved incredibly well."she said. "Scientists managed to translate the ancient language it was written in. It says that when the book is opened if the owners of the seven items are present their souls will be parted. They will have to go through some kind of trial before they will be released from the Book's magic." Yugi and Ryou looked at each other in shock. Seven items... seven Millennium Items! "I don't know what items they mean."the guide said. "And we've opened that book dozens of times and nothing ever happened. We think it was just a joke. Here, I'll show you the pages." "NO! DON'T OPEN THAT BOOK!"two voices cried, but it was too late. The guide opened the book. The pages began to glow.

A double scream echoed through the room. Yugi fell onto his back, clutching at his temples. His Millennium Puzzle radiated a bright light. Ryou fell onto his knees. They could see something move underneath his uniform-jacket. He undid the front of his jacket and tore his T-shirt apart. The Millennium Ring hanging down his chest emanated a golden light too. The pointers were swinging madly.

The people of their class looked in shock at the Items that were thrashing around their necks. The Millennium Puzzle flashed once and the next moment Yami was lying besides Yugi, also groaning and tossing about. Yugi's Puzzle flashed once more and another Yami appeared, but this one had a copper-colored skin and wore a skirt, lots of jewels, earrings and also a Millennium Puzzle. The Pharaoh. The person Yami been when he was still alive.

The Millennium Ring flashed once too. Yami Bakura materialized besides Ryou. He leaned on one hand and his other hand was pressed against his chest. The Ring flashed once again. A muscular man with a copper skin, a scar on his cheek and white, plucky hair appeared. He wore a red cloack with white lighting on it and a yellow hood, a dark blue skirt, bracelets, and rings around his fingers. Touzokuou Bakura-Sama. Thief King Bakura-Sama. The Ring flashed a third time. A golden flash came out of Ryou's hair. It hit the floor besides Touzokuou and got a human form. It was a young man, a boy actually. His face was Ryou's, but copper-colored and also with a scar. His chest was thick and muscular. He wore a white skirt with a blue stripe, a necklace, bracelets with pointy ends as sharp as knives, his legs were plated with gold and he wore a pure white cloack with red lightning and a blue hood. His hair was much longer than Touzokuou's and stuck up like cat's ears on the back of his head. Moonlight Bakura. The person young Yami Bakura would have been if he hadn't become evil and, therefore, Touzokuou.

The others looked at them in shock. Yugi, Yami, King Yami and the four Bakuras were sucked into the book the guide was still holding. They tumbled through a suffocating darkness, screaming for help.

Moonlight and Touzokuou were the heaviest and came down first. They landed neatly on their feet. After them came the two other Bakuras. Moonlight caught Ryou in his arms. Touzokuou stretched out his arms to catch Yami Bakura, but at the last moment he retreated them so the Yami slammed a hole in the ground. Moonlight quickly put Ryou down and caught Yami with his left arm and King Yami with his right. Yugi fell on Touzokuou's back, forcing the air out of Touzokuou's lungs.

"Where are we?"King Yami asked in ancient Egyptian. "I believe we are inside Ra's Black Book."Yami answered. Yami Bakura climbed out of the hole. King Yami looked at Yami. "Who are you?"he asked. Yami made a bob with his head. "I am Yami Yugi. Five-thousand years ago I was the Pharaoh of Egypt."he said. King Yami looked at him dumbfounded. "So... you are me?"he asked. Yami nodded. "Well..."King Yami began. "How am I doing?" Appareantly he was more of a funmaker than the ever so serious Yami. Yugi and Yami laughed. This moment of levity gave them strength.

Moonlight was slapping the dust out of Ryou's clothes. "Are you okay, Ryou?"he asked. Ryou rubbed his forehead. "I'm still reeling."he said. He looked up at the sky and was shocked. "Look, Moonlight!"he said. "Joey!" Up in the sky they could see something that looked like a big window. Joey was looking down at them from the window and was shouting something at them.

"Hey! YUGI! YAAAAAAAAAAMI! OTHER YAAAAAAAAAMI! BAKUUUUUUUUUURA! CAN YOU HEEEEEAAAAAR MEEEEE?!"he screamed into the book. "We can hear you, Joey!" a tiny voice, recognisable as Yami's shouted back. "What happened?" "You got sucked into the book!"Joey squalled. He saw the small people inside the book walk around and saw Yami Bakura and Touzokuou kick into things. "Listen. There is somekind of mission you have to fulfill. Then you can get out again."Joey said. "Otherwhise you will all be killed!" Miho gasped. "No! Bakura-San!"she cried, buried her face in the shoulder of one of her friends and began to cry. "Die?!"Ryou whined. "I don't want to!" "Then you must listen to the clues we will give you."Joey said. "This book gives us clues about what you should do to get free." "Alright! Give us the first clue and we'll go on!"Yami Bakura snarled.

"Wait, there is a danger."Joey said. "Moonlight is immortal, and so are the Yamis, but the brown Yami over there and that white-haired orang-utan are not. When they are killed they will just disappear. Moonlight will just get up again, but you, Yami and Yami Bakura, will lose your powers and will become useless. And when Yugi and Bakura-Kun are killed the others will die too. So when Bakura-Kun dies Moonlight, Yami Bakura and Rambo will be gone forever. And when Yugi dies Yami and that brown guy will die too and never come back." His voice began to break. "Whatever you do... you must survive!" Everybody seemed impressed, exept for Touzokuou and Yami Bakura. Touzokuou brought his coarse face close to the window. "Who you call orang-utan, chimpansee?"he growled. Joey involuntarily stepped back, though Touzokuou could not come out of the book.

Moonlight grabbed Touzokuou's shoulder and pulled him back. "If you want to survive we must protect Ryou of everthing that will come."he said. Touzokuou looked at him furiously. "And who tells me what to do?"he snapped. "I do."Moonlight calmly said. Touzokuou lashed out at him, but Moonlight grabbed his hand. His purple-blue eyes locked with Touzokuou's somber purple-grey ones. "Don't you understand that we'll all die if Ryou gets killed?"he hissed. Yami Bakura interfeered. "You should listen, idiot."he said. "Moonshine over there's right." "It's Moon_light_."Moonlight said, but they didn't listen to him. "And who the hell are you?"Touzokuou asked. Yami Bakura placed his hands in his sides. "I am the King of Thieves."he arroganly said. Touzokuou slapped himself on the chest. "Ha! That can't be! _I_ am the King of Thieves!"he sneered. Yami Bakura had expected that answer. "Look at this!"he said and activated his Ring.

Touzokuou saw himself walk through the sand, with around his neck the Millennium Ring. He saw himself kill the Pharaoh. He saw himself fall into an endless hole with a wound in the the chest. When he finally hit the ground his features changed into those of Yami Bakura. The Ring stopped glowing. Touzokuou looked at Yami Bakura, who was grinning arrogantly. "Ah, I see, you are me."Touzokuou rimed. Yami Bakura's grin grew wider.

"Shouldn't we start our missions and get over with it?"King Yami interfeered. Touzokuou turned to him. "I-don't-listen-too-you!"he snarled, tapping with his finger on King Yami's chestbone. The very next moment someone grabbed his wrist and threw him upside-down to the floor. "Don't you talk to the Pharaoh like that!"Moonlight's angry voice came. He loomed over the fallen King of Thieves. His eyes were glowing a blue light. Ryou appeared behind him, scared. Touzokuou leapt up again and went to stand before Moonlight, who took an attack-pose. The two Egyptian men were a match for each other.

"STOP!"a voice came from above. "Are you men or just a bunch of children?!" It was Téa and she was angry. "Your first obstacle is on it's way right now!" The ground began to tremble. The three Yugis and four Bakuras looked at their West. They saw a big cloud of dust coming. "It's a whole army!"Yami shouted. "OH MY GOD!"Ryou exclaimed. "What should we do?"Yugi asked, his voice high of fear. The seven people formed a circle. "We should try to protect our hosts as much as possible."Yami said. "If something happens to them we will all die." Yami Bakura nodded. "My... uh... brother is immortal."Touzokuou said, making a gesture with his head in the direction of Moonlight. "Perhaps he should be in the front line, because he will come back whenever he's killed." "Okay."King Yami said. "We all have our own powers. Touzokuou and Moonlight have the Power of Darkness, Yami, Yami Bakura and I posses Millennium Magic. We must protect Bakura and Yugi at all cost." "Good."Yami said. "All take position." He and King Yami went to stand in front of Yugi. Touzokuou and Yami Bakura went to stand in front of Ryou. Moonlight walked about thirty feet ahead and balled his fists in front of his face.

"You must beat the leader of the Ancient Warriors, but that will be very hard."Téa said. "The warriors will keep coming until one of you has killed their leader. If you don't beat him they will keep fighting until Yugi and Bakura-Kun are dead." All the Spirits present emitted a growl. The big cloud of dust kept coming closer. Moonlight bent his back. His hands began to glow faintly. So did the Puzzles and the Ring, and Touzokuou's hands.

They could now clearly see the forms of the warriors. Moonlight cut the knot and spread his arms. A big ball of dark energy that had been building up flew in the direction of the warriors. About ten of them screamed out and tumbled out of their saddles. Touzokuou fired a black beam too and more warriors fell, like a scyte had swung over them. Yami and King Yami both bellowed "Oblivion!" and tried to Mind-Crush as many warriors as possible. The pointers of Yami Bakura's Ring all pointed in the direction of the charging men and some of them were enveloped in a golden light and vanished. Yugi and Ryou were pressed against each other and tried not to cry out.

The Spirits and Yamis did the best they could, but the warriors soon surrounded Moonlight and tried to destroy him. Moonlight's sharp bracelets flashed in all directions and killed lots of men, but suddenly one raised his sword and broke one of the bracelets. Moonlight grabbed his wrist. The sharp sword had made a deep cut in it. Red blood poured down. He looked up. The warrior looked at him and raised his sword again. He did not have a face. He wanted to bring the sword down, but suddenly he was caught in a tower of golden flames and vanished. The sword fell with a thud down into the sand. Moonlight picked it up and went to fight the warriors with it.

Some of the warriors got past the raging Shadow Soul and reached Touzokuou, King Yami and the Yamis. But they could not get past the Spirits. The powers of the Millennium Items and Darkness stopped them. And Touzokuou had a sharp knife they were afraid of.

One of the warriors lashed out and hit Yami's shoulder. Yami fell onto one knee without making a sound. "Yami!"Yugi and Ryou chorussed. Yami touched his shoulder and looked at the blood on his hand. "Don't worry."he groaned. "I'm fine..." He stood again and continued fighting. Things were really spinning out of control right now. Moonlight was standing in a sea of warriors that threatened to overflow him. Touzokuou and Yami Bakura were litterally knocking the warriors away. Yami and King Yami were still Mind-Crushing people.

Suddenly a horse of one of the warriors reared. It's hoove hit Moonlight on the head. The Yugis and Bakuras could hear the horrible sound of a skull cracking. Moonlight fell to the floor and was run over by the warriors. Ryou watched in horror. The warriors now began to get really close. The Spirits were having a hard time stopping them. Yami suffered from the wound in his shoulder. Touzokuou's knuckles had burst. Yami Bakura bled from a cut in his cheek. King Yami had been hit by the blunt end of a sword and was reeling on his feet. Yugi and Ryou were unharmed, but really scared to die.

Behind the bunch of fighting men Moonlight stood up again and charged, with a furious scream. Suddenly he noticed something. He had seen the warriors did not have faces. But at his right, really close to him, he saw a warrior with a face. A cold, cruel face. That had to be the leader. Moonlight raised his hand and slipped the throat of the man with his bracelet.

Immediately all the warriors disappeared. The Spirits and Hikaris looked around, confused. Yami moaned and allowed himself to fall on his knees. King Yami sat down on his knees and looked at Yami's shoulder. Yami Bakura took a handkerchief out of his pocket and pressed it against his cheek. Touzokuou wrapped a cloth around his hands. Moonlight cleaned his bracelets with sand. Yugi and Ryou sighed, relieved.

"You passed the first test."Téa said. "And everybody is still alive, thank god." "Who did it?"Yami asked, trying to ignore King Yami, who was fimbling with his shoulder. "Moonlight."Tea said. "He saw the leader and killed him." "Well done!"Yami said and gave Moonlight one of his rare smiles. Moonlight smiled back. "Before you can go on to the next level your wounds will be healed."Tea read aloud. Promptly the wounds on the bodies of Yami, Yami Bakura and Touzokuou vanished. King Yami did not feel dizzy any more.

The people of the class had crowded around the book. All the Egyptian things the souls inside it said were translated for them; there were subtitles running down the pages, like they were watching TV.

"Now it's time for the second trial."Tea said. "You will have to walk to the North until you find a few palm-trees." The small group of people did so, wondering what their next test would be.

And so far chapter one! Producing chapter two already. Lots of torture to come...

Yami Bakura: OW OW AAAARGH OOAAH!

Moonlight: What's wrong with him?

Ryou: Ryou-Ran forced him to eat a skillet and now he's got a belly-ache.

Moonlight: OO" A _skillet_?

Touzokuou: Why would she want him to eat a _skillet_?

Moonlight: Yes, a fresh apple would be much more tasty.

Yugi: He wanted to boil Ryou-Ran's eggs in it.

Ryou: So Ryou-Ran forced him to eat the skillet.

Yami Bakura: Ow ow, I'm dying!

King Yami: You can't. You're dead already.

Yami Bakura: I'm dying a second time! Oh oh _ooooooh_! Have mercy! (tosses about)

King Yami: --"

Next chappie coming up soon. Read my other fic too, I've got it completely finished in my laptop. I would be a great bummer to delete it. Please review.


	2. The Essence of Life

More torture coming up...

Someone told me the authors alert does not work any more. I wonder if that's why I get so little reviews.

And there's a third commercial in the Netherlands with Ryou's voice in it. It's about a fat lady watching Blue's Clues and Steve from Blue's Clues is our Ryou. I know Steve will be replaced by his brother, Joe, but I personally don't think the voice will change in the Netherlands. I mean; Joe from Digimon and Jim from Digimon (Joe's brother) both have Dutch Ryou's voice in our version. Just like Koji and Sumilidon... lots of father-son, brother-brother and in this case Medafighter-Medabot things.

Ryou-Ran: Hikari Lunar said the eggs are getting really warm. They must be really close to hatching.

"Ryou": Is that so?

Ryou-Ran: Yes, you were there, weren't you?

"Ryou": Oh, yes.

Ryou-Ran: (smiles)

"Ryou": Do you think they'll hatch sooner if we lay them in boiling water for a few minutes?

Ryou-Ran: ?

"Ryou": (leers at the eggs) Well?

Ryou-Ran: You aren't Ryou...

"Ryou": (drools all over the place)

Ryou-Ran: (grabs cudgel, hits "Ryou")

Yami Bakura: Ooooow!

Ryou-Ran: I knew it! First you tried to eat Chikao, and now you try to eat my other eggs too! Barbarian!

Yami Bakura: AnD tHe LiTTle BarrOw oN thE saNDy RoAD... XX

Ryou-Ran: (to eggs) Don't worry, Wee Wee, Kyo-Kyo and Ed'rashtekaresket. Hikari, Ryou and I will protect you. Where's Ryou, by the way?

Ryou: (falls out of a random chest, together with the disclaimer)

Disclaimer: Ryou-Ran does not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Ryou: OW! (bang)

The Essence of Life

"Walking, walking, we keep on walking."Yami Bakura muttered. He had taken off his jacket and had tied it around his waist. The orange sun shone on his back. "What time would it now be?"Ryou asked. Yugi got a watch from his pocket and checked it. "I don't know."he said. "The hands are still on the same place as they had been when we got here." Sweat ran down their faces. It was really hot. Only King Yami, Touzokuou and Moonlight did not seem to suffer from the heat that badly. "Perhaps this is our test."Ryou said. "Keep walking and survive the heat before we reach the trees." "Shut up!"Yami Bakura shouted. He sent Ryou a death-glare. Ryou cringed under his Yami's gaze.

Moonlight had climbed on top of a hill. "I can see trees!"he shouted down. "Where?"King Yami asked. Moonlight held his hand above his eyes. "I think... about half an hour away from here!"he answered. The others climbed up the hill too. "Half an hour to go... and then: face our next mission!"Yugi said.

Half an hour later they reached the trees. "Can we please get over with it?"Yami Bakura whined. "I want to go back!"

Suddenly everybody was surrounded by a big bubble. "Hey! What the..."Touzokuou protested. Moonlight tried to make it pop with his bracelets, but it wouldn't pop. Something that looked like a table with sliding-panels appeared in front of them. There were numbers visible on the panels. "It looks like a puzzle."Yami said. "With numbers." They all bent over the table.

"You'll have to solve that puzzle."Tristan's voice came. "Those bubbles around you contain air. If one of you does not solve that puzzle in time you will all suffocate." They tiny people looked up at him. Tristan's forehead was creased with concern. "Who of you is good at mathematics?"he asked. Nobody moved, but eventually Ryou hesitatingly stepped forward. "I'm good at mathematics."he said, his voice shaking a bit. "Okay. As soon as you touch the panels you will start to run out of oxigen. You will have to solve the puzzle quickly."Tristan said. "Good luck, Bakura-Kun. We're counting on you." Suddenly someone pushed him aside. It was Miho. "I know you can save them, Bakura-San!"she cried, tears running down her cheeks. "I just know it!"

Ryou bent over the table. He touched one of the panels and slid it aside. Immediately the bubbles of air lit up. "Don't speak."Yami said. "Don't move. That way we can save up oxigen." They sat down on the floor, but Ryou remained standing, trying to solve the puzzle. He tried to stay calm.

A few minutes later he suddenly heard someone rasp. When he looked back he saw it was Touzokuou. The Egyptian man had pressed a hand against his chest and was obviously running out of air to breathe. "Can't... breathe..."he panted. "Hurry..." Ryou turned back to his panels again. Tiny drops of sweat were visible on his forehead. Now Moonlight began panting too. He and Touzokuou were the biggest ones, so they ran out of air the quickest. "Don't... worry... about... me!"he gasped. Touzokuou clutched at his throat and wheezed. The skin under his fingernails began to color blue. He pushed himself up on one hand, but slumped down again.

Yami Bakura, Yami and King Yami began to get into trouble too. "Hurry... Yadonushi!"Yami Bakura groaned. Ryou slid and slid. Breathing became harder for him. His field of vision became smaller and smaller. A big lump was stuck in his chest. Touzokuou suddenly uttered a last pant and fell onto his stomach. Moonlight tried to grab him, but collapsed and fell on top of him. Yami Bakura's knees buckled. "Bakura-Kun! Quickly..."Yugi cried, also getting troubles with breathing.

Ryou threw a look on the suffocating people. Moonlight and Touzokuou were flat on the floor. Moonlight's chest was still going up and down, but Touzokuou did not move at all. Yami Bakura's cheeks were blue and he was about to lose consciousness. Yami and King Yami were both sitting on the floor with their arms wrapped aroud their chests. Yugi looked at Ryou. His eyes were begging for help.

The look in Yugi's eyes gave Ryou the power to think. He looked at the table. He saw the panels. He stretched his hand out to one of them, but everything became black in front of his eyes. He reeled and grabbed the table for support. When his head cleared again he suddenly saw what panel he had to slide in order to solve the puzzle. He lay his hand on the panel and slid it the right way.

The bubbles vanished. Ryou took deep breath and filled his lungs with delicious, fresh air. So did Yugi, Moonlight, the Pharaoh and the two Yamis. But Tuozokuou remained silent. He did not breathe. Moonlight got up and shook him. "Come on, Touzokuou! Breathe!"he shouted. When Touzokuou did not breathe Moonlight went to sit on his knees, took deep breath, squeezed Touzokuou's nose shut, pressed his lips on those of Touzokuou and blew air in his lungs. Touzokuou's chest went up, fell again and did not go up. Moonlight did it again. The chest of the evil magician rose, fell and did not rise again. After a third time Touzokuou coughed in Moonlight's face and began breathing on his own. Moonlight wiped with his hands over his face, a look of disgust visible on it. Touzokuou woke up and saw Moonlight sitting next to him. "What happened?"he asked. He saw Moonlight was cleaning his own mouth. "You were dying, but Moonlight saved you."Yami said. "He made you breathe again by blowing air in yo-" "You mean he _kissed_ me?!"Touzokuou cried. "Oh Ra!" Both he and Moonlight began to spit in the sand.

Yugi grabbed Ryou's arm. "You saved us, Bakura-Kun!"he said. "You solved the puzzle!" Ryou smiled shily. "It just had to do it."he simply said. "Bakura-San!"Miho's voice came. "You're my hero!" Ryou cringed.

"You've passed the second test!"Tristan said. "Well done, Bakura!" Ryou smiled again. "What are we going to do for the next test?"Yami asked. Tristan's gaze focussed on something written in the book. When he looked back at the people his gaze had darkened. "One of you has to knock another person out."he said. "Oh, that's all?"Yami Bakura asked, walked over to Ryou and made his fist land on the cheekbone of the frail boy. "Aah!"Ryou cried and crashed down, unconsious. Moonlight boiled over and punched Yami Bakura in the stomach. "Uuurgh!"the Yami uttered, bent over and fell onto his side. Now Touzokuou got angry and chopped Moonlight in the neck. A soft "Ungh!" escaped the lips of the Shadow Soul and he fell flat on the ground. King Yami had had enough of it and hit Touzokuou on the back of his head with his Millennium Puzzle. "Ow!"the tyrannt exclaimed and collapsed. Tristan had watched bemused. Now all the four Bakuras were in various poses flat on the floor. "Uhh... I think you passed the test."he stuttered.

Yugi went to wake Ryou up. He slapped him gently in the face. Ryou fluttered his eyelids and woke up. "Yugi? Why did my Yami do that?"he asked. He sat up and looked at his surroundings with big eyes. "What happened?"he asked when he saw the other Bakuras. "Yami Bakura knocked you down. Moonlight got mad and punched Yami Bakura in the stomach. Then Touzokuou went bananas and beat Moonlight up. Then King Yami went bonkers and hit him with the Millennium Puzzle."Yugi explained. Ryou looked at him open-mouthed. "What?"he asked. "Speaking of a chain-effect!"Yugi laughed, but his laugh trembled.

"It's time for a fourth test."Tristan said. "It will be blown right to you." The seven boys saw a big cloud of sand coming in their direction. "Sandstorm!"King Yami cried. "What's the big deal?"Yugi asked when he saw his shocked face. "A sandstorm may seem harmless, but the sand really gets a sharp as a thousand knives when a sandstorm rages."Yami explained. "The storm has been sent to kill you and Bakura. We must protect you, whatever it takes... even our own bodies."

"The sandstorm will last for about fifteen minutes."Tristan said. "If Bakura-Kun and Yugi are still alive after that you have passed the test." King Yami had Ryou and Yugi each sit with their backs against a palm-tree. He and Yami tried to form somekind of wall to protect Yugi from the sand. Their Puzzles formed a small force-field that protected Yugi, but was not able to protect them. Touzokuou, Yami Bakura and Moonlight did the same thing for Ryou. The storm came closer. "Ready... IMPACT!"Moonlight shouted as the storm hit them.

* * *

That chapter number two.

Yami Bakura: XX

Ryou: You gave him quite a blow, didn't you?

Ryou-Ran: Yes, I did my very best on it! (looks around proudly)

Ryou: Say, I see a new egg has joined the party.

Ryou-Ran: Yes, that's Tin-Tin. Chinees egg. Tin-Tin was one of the sidekicks of the good old Thunderbirds. Oh, I loved the old show...

Ryou: This egg has a crack in it.

Ryou-Ran: OO It does?!

Ryou: Yes! It's the smallest egg.

Ryou-Ran: That's Wee Wee!

Egg: (breaks)

Ryou-Ran: Aw, look at my fluffy little Wee Wee. (hugs Wee-Wee)

Ryou: She's really small, but really cute. (strokes Wee Wee)

Ryou-Ran: And let's hold a party for our Wee Wee! Everbosy is invited, exept for Yami Bakura an Touzokuou Bakura-Sama!

Touzokuou: Why aren't we invited?

Ryou-Ran: The two of you would only try to eat me Wee Wee.

Touzokuou: That's true.

Moonlight: (laughs at Touzokuou)

Touzokuou: (gives him such a blow to the head that Moonlight's nose sticks out of the back of his head)

Ryou: OO" Moonlight, are you okay?

Moonlight: Eehhh... yeah... (sniffs) I need to wash my hair.

Ryou: --"

Please review.


	3. We're all just blood, flesh and bones

Mikazui, you're back! I missed you... check out my other fic "Waxing Moon(light)" too.

Oh, the name of my little chicken Wee Wee does not refer to a certain part of a man's body.

Yami Bakura: Do you mean this part?

Ryou-Ran: OO" PUT THOSE PANTS BACK ON, YAMI BAKURA!

Hrm... --" Yes, that part. Anyway, in the Netherlands little boys do pipi with their zizi, and not with a wee wee. Wee Wee is called Wee Wee because "wee" is the Scottish word for "small". You know, it's just a wee problem, and we should be solvin' it right now.

My Ra, pipi, kaka, and zizi! What will come of this world.

Yami Bakura: Don't worry, Ryou-Ran. It will be a good world, ruled by the mightly Yami Bakura who owns the amazing power of the seven Millennium Items...

Ryou-Ran: Good? OO" With you as the king? No thanks!

Moonlight: (comes in) Guess what, I washed my hair.

Moonlight's hair: (is wet)

Ryou: Ah, did you take a shower?

Moonlight: Shower? No, I saw Yami Bakura climb out of some big pot and he was wet. I thought I should just dip my head in it. What's a shower, by the way?

Yami Bakura: Mfg mfg! (tries to hold his laughter)

Ryou: OO"

Moonlight: What's the big deal?

Ryou-Ran: Uh... Moonlight, you just stuck your head in (whispers in Moonlight's ear)

Moonlight: OO" (pales) Oh my Ra! (runs away to wash his hair again)

Ryou: --"

Ryou-Ran: What were you doing in the toilet, Yami?

Yami Bakura: Well, while I was throwing iron up Hikari Lunar pushed me in and flushed the toilet.

Ryou: Oh, I see...

Ryou-Ran: Let's do the disclaimer.

Everybody but Moonlight: Ryou-Ran does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! La la la...

We're all just blood, flesh and bones.

Immediately Ryou could feel the ground tremble. The wind and the sharp sand did not reach him. He could hear the wind howl. When he looked down he saw Touzokuou's feet were sliding away. The magician placed one foot firmly on the ground and steadied himself. When Ryou looked up he saw the three almost identical faces, all turned into masks of pain. He saw the cloacks of Touzokuou Bakura-Sama and Moonlight were torn apart by the wind. He saw Yami Bakura's uniform-jacket being shredded. The same thing happened to the jacket Yami was wearing and to King Yami's cape.

Yugi was hoping so much that they would survive. These minutes were the longest of his entire life. He saw Yami and King Yami wince when a new gust of wind sent a million needles into their tormented backs.

The three Bakuras protecting Ryou had slapped their arms around each other's necks to keep themselves on their feet. Ryou was sitting in the center, scared to death. He saw Moonlight almost fall. He heard Touzokuou groan.

Suddenly a drop of red fluid fell down besides his leg. Blood. Another drop came down and landed besides the first one. Ryou looked up to see where the blood came from. It came from Yami Bakura's mouth. The evil Yami coughed. A small wave of blood came from his mouth and splattered on Ryou's leg. Ryou looked up, terrified. Yami Bakura's eyes had been shut, but now he opened them. His brown eyes radiated pure hatred. "Don't think I'm doing this for _you_, Omote!"he hissed. Tiny red drops rained down on his T-shirt. "I'm doing this all for myself! I know I will die when you are killed." Moonlight opened his eyes too and sent Yami Bakura a look full of contempt. "Hh**ang** on, Ryou."he said, speaking joltingly. "Don't **lis**ten to **him**!" A new gust of wind hit his back. He moaned and shut his eyes tightly.

Yami suddenly sighed and collapsed. Part of the shield protecting Yugi disappeared. The sand was blown into his face. "Oow! Yami!"he cried. He grabbed Yami and was shocked when he felt the blood on Yami's back.

The Bakuras had watched Yami fall. Moonlight squeezed Touzokuou's and Yami Bakura's shoulders and gave a nod with his head in Yugi's direction. Touzokuou nodded too, Yami Bakura hadn't opened his eyes. Moonlight released them. Immediately Touzokuou and Yami Bakura slapped their arms around the tree and each other's neck. Moonlight protected his face with his big hands and began to stagger over to Yugi and King Yami. His long white hair was blown in all directions. When he reached them he wanted to slap his arm around King Yami's neck, but hesitated. King Yami opened his eyes, looked at him gratefully and slapped his arm around Moonlight's blooded back. He felt Moonlight's strong arm around his shoulders. Together they went to protect Yugi and the unconscious Yami. Blood ran down Yami's chin. His breathing rasped. Yugi looked up at the two souls protecting him. They had shut their eyes and revealed their sparkling white teeth. King Yami looked exactly like a darker version of Yami, though his hair was a little shaggier. Moonlight's face was as delicate as Ryou's, but his body was strong and though. The two Egyptians protected Yugi, never giving up battle.

Near Ryou, Touzokuou was having a hard time protecting Ryou _and_ keeping Yami Bakura on his feet. The sand had eaten right through the skin and flesh of the Yami and his lungs were filling themselves with blood. He was on the point of collapsing. The light of his Millennium Ring flickered. He accidentally stomped on Ryou's hand when he tried to steady himself. Ryou did not dare to cry out. He took his jacket off, swung it over Yami Bakura's head and held it tightly, so the wind wouldn't blow it away. He tried to protect Yami Bakura's back that way. Yami Bakura opened his eyes when he felt something cover his back. He was surprised when he saw his Yadonushi was holding the jacket that proteced him. He did not understand. He had shouted at Ryou, had hurt him, mentally and physically, surely the frail boy would rather let him be torn apart by the sand! But Ryou tried to help him, protect him. Yami Bakura's revenge-ridden mind could not understand what was going on inside Ryou's head.

All of a sudden the wind died. Touzokuou, Yami Bakura, Moonlight and King Yami crashed to the ground, gasping and groaning. Ryou leapt up and took the jacket away from Yami Bakura's back. "Don't touch me."the Yami weakly mumbled, but Ryou ignored his protests and began tearing his T-shirt apart to bandage Yami Bakura's back with. The backs of Touzokuou, Moonlight and King Yami were big, raw wounds, but not really deep. Their skin and flesh were tougher than Yami's and Yami Bakura's, because they were fit for living in the desert. Yugi tried to wake Yami up. Moonlight and Yami looked at each other and just laughed, full of relief. "Thank you, Moonlight."King Yami said. "I would have never been able to protect Yugi on my own." Moonlight bobbed his head. "Always at your service, my Pharaoh."he solemny said. Yami spluttered, groaned and woke up. "Yugi!"he said. A smile spread across his face. "You are still alive! And Bakura... Bakura too!" He looked at Ryou, who was trying to wrap the strips of his T-shirt around the skinny back and chest of a loudly protesting Yami Bakura, and Yami could despite of the burning pain in his back not help chuckling . "We passed the test."King Yami said, with a sigh that came from deep inside his chest. "Moonlight protected both you and Yugi after you had collapsed." "Thanks!"Yami said. Moonlight bobbed his head again. "It was my duty, my Pharaoh."he spoke. "Knock it off, calling me Pharaoh."Yami said. Moonlight almost bobbed his head a third time. "Yes, my Pha... uh... Yami."he said deadpan-faced.

"You did it! You're all alive!"Téa screamed. "This is the fifth test! You must find the jar with salve that can heal your wounds. It is buried somewhere. The book says the "searching-Item" should be able to locate it." All faces were turned to Yami Bakura. "What?"the Yami, who had not been listening, asked. "The "searching-Item" is the Millennium Ring."Yami understood. "You should try to find the jar, Yami Bakura, then Yugi and Bakura-Kun will dig it up." Yami Bakura pulled up his nose and muttered something about "the King of Thieves not listening to a second rate Pharaoh", but activated his Ring anyway. The pointers pointed at the East. Yami Bakura crawled over the floor in that direction, until the pointers pointed right down. "Here it is."he said. Yugi and Ryou walked over to him and began scooping up sand with their hands. Yami Bakura looked at them work and kept murmuring and grumbling. Yugi suddenly bumped with his knuckles into something solid. "Ow! Look, Bakura. I think I found it."he said. He and Ryou dug it up. It was a big jar. Ryou took it out of the hole and took the cork off. It was filled with green salve. "This is it."he said. The others crowded around the two boys with the jar. Ryou took some of the salve on his hand and began to rub it on Yami Bakura's back. Yami Bakura's face looked a lot like a thundercloud. When his back was completely covered with salve Ryou gestured Yami to come over. He treated Yami's back too, after that King Yami's, Touzokuou's and Moonlight's. He cautiously rubbed a bit on Yugi's face too. The little boy had lots of tiny scratches on his round cheeks. Then he put the cork back on the jar and waited. "YEEOOWW!"Yami Bakura suddenly uttered and launched himself a meter into the sky. "This is eerie!" His back was completely healed. The others shivered when a cold sensation ran up their spines. When it was over their backs were okay, so was Yugi's face.

"In wonder what the sixth test is going to be."Yami said. He looked at the people around him. "I don't know if I really want to know."Ryou said, his voice trembling a bit. Téa's face appeared behind the window again. "You must walk on until you reach that piramid over there."she said. The seven boys spun around and saw a piramid that hadn't been there seconds before. "That't can't be so hard."Touzokuou said. He began to walk in the direction of the piramid. Ryou had pulled his shoulders up a bit. "I don't feel well about this."he said. His Yami snorted. "Female intuition?"he sneered. Ryou turned away his face.

Suddenly the ground began to shake. "Dashed!"Moonlight cried and fell flat on his face. Ryou grabbed the arm of his Yami in an impulse and they both fell to the floor. Touzokuou was hugging a tree to remain on his feet. "It wouldn't be so hard, huh?"King Yami angrily shouted. "I can't see the future!"Touzokuou angrily blustered back. Yugi was not so tall and managed to stay standing. The others got up too. Yami Bakura grabbed Ryou under the armpits and roughly hauled him to his feet. They began walking again, but it did not go very fast. The ground was regularly slammed away from underneath their feet.

Touzokuou's leg suddenly sank up to his knee in the sand. "What the... quicksand!"he bellowed. He tried to wrestle himself free, but now his other leg was stuck too. "Damn!"he cried. He grabbed the first thing within his reach, Yami's leg, and almost pulled _him_ in too. Moonlight quickly grabbed his right hand and tried to pull him out. Touzokuou was as stuck as a house. And he sank deeper and deeper. "Help! Someone!"he cried. Moonlight was not strong enough to pull the big man out of the sucking mud. He turned to Yami Bakura. "Come help me, idiot! We are the only ones strong enough!"he demanded. Yami Bakura had been watching with his thin arms folded in front of his chest. "Why should I?"he asked. "We could also clear the trials without him." Moonlight's eyes began to glow a red light. Yami Bakura was caught in a net of red sparks and moaned. "Aahh! Okay, okay!"he cried. "I'll help you!" He grabbed Touzokuou's left hand. Together they began pulling. Touzokuou groaned. His arms were almost pulled out of their sockets. He had now sunk in the mud up to his groin. "Hhuuuuhhh..."he shivered. "It's cold..." Ryou, Yugi, Yami and the Pharaoh grabbed Touzokuou's wrists too. They pulled with all their might.

Suddenly Touzokuou shot out of the quicksand. All the people fell on their backsides. Touzokuou landed with his chin on Yami Bakura's chestbone. "Oosshh!"Yami Bakura uttered as all the wind was knocked out of him. Ryou sat up, rubbing his rear end. "I now understand why this is one of the trials."he said. Yami helped him get up. "Come on."he said. "We should go on to the piramid."he said. Touzokuou was rubbing his legs, that had turned a little purple. He got up, almost fell, but rejected Moonlight's helping hand. They walked on.

Suddenly King Yami fell right through the ground. He cried out in shock and could just grab the side of the hole he had fallen in. Yami rushed over to him and pulled him out. King Yami sat down on the floor and sighed. "That was close."he said. Yami tried to take a peek into the hole, but it had filled up with sand again. "We can count on more of these holes being in the ground."Yugi said. "What are they good for?" They would find out seconds later, because the ground disappeared under Moonlight's feet.

They saw him vanish completely into the ground and then heard a high scream that slowly died. "Moonlight?!"Ryou anxiously cried. He ran over to the hole, peered into it and leapt back with a cry. He fell onto his behind. The others took a look too. Their breath got stuck in their throats.

Moonlight's body was pinned on thick, pointy sticks that were standing upright in the hole. He was with his chest turned to the others, in a pose like he was about to fly away. His eyes were closed. The sharp wooden poles were stuck in his back and legs and one had even run through his stomach. The blood ran down the poles and over his stomach. Moonlight Bakura was dead. Ryou covered his eyes with his hands.

"Damned, Yadonushi! What the hell are you crying for?!"a harsh, loud voice shouted. It was Yami Bakura. He looked down at his look-alike in disgust. "That guy is im-mor-tal! He'll be back within a minute!" He was right. Moonlight's corpse suddenly disappeared. Left of the pit a bright light was visible. It took human shape. When the light died out Moonlight was standing in front of them. He opened his eyes. He looked at the hole, the poles still dripping with his blood. "I'm back."he said. "There must be more of those holes here. If you just follow me we will find out where they are." He walked on top, the others followed.

Moonlight fell into more holes, died every time, came back again. After a while Ryou saw the Shadow Soul had paled. Little drops of sweat ran down his face. "What is it, Moonlight?"he asked. "Stay behind me!"Moonlight warned him, as Ryou came too close to him. "Resurrecting myself takes a lot of my energy away. I should take a rest." Ryou went back to the group at a gallop and told them about what Moonlight had said. "Hoh! The Shadow Soul is tired!"Yami Bakura sneered. "I want to go to that piramid as quickly as possible! There's no time to take a nap!" Touzokuou agreed with him. The Yugis, on the other hand, thought Moonlight should rest for a while. "Oh no, we are going on!"Touzokuou shouted. At that moment Moonlight provided an interruption of their fight by tumbling with a scream into a new hole. But he did not become silent. The Shadow Soul continued screaming. Ryou rushed over to the hole, slipped and fell in. The Yugis uttered a cry.

Ryou landed on Moonlight's chest. Moonlight was still alive. A lock of Ryou's hair fell into a green fluid Moonlight was lying in. It sizzled and vanished into white smoke. "My God! Acid!"Ryou cried. Now he understood why Moonlight wouldn't stop screaming. The acid was slowly eating him alive. And when he was eaten Ryou would be eaten too. "Ryou... Get out!"Moonlight panted. "You will be killed! Aargh! Just let me!" Ryou looked up at the walls of the hole and saw the Yugis and other Bakuras were looking at him from above. "I can't! It's too high!"he cried. "What should we do?"

Touzokuou got an idea. He took Yami Bakura apart. "What if I hold your ankles and you grab Bakura?"he shouted in Yami Bakura's ears, trying to drown out Moonlight's howling voice. "Good plan!"Yami Bakura yelled back. He went to lie on his stomach near the hole. Touzokuou grabbed his ankles and slowly shoved him in.

Ryou had been trying to calm Moonlight down when he suddenly felt something soft on his small shoulder. When he looked up he looked right in a fiendish, red face, surrounded by white hair. He cried out and almost fell from Moonlight's chest. "Ssh! Be quiet, coward!"Yami Bakura hissed. "Let me grab your wrists, then Touzokuou will pull us out!" Ryou extended his arms and Yami Bakura grabbed them. "Okay!"the Yami shouted. Touzokuou placed one foot in front of himself and began to pull. His face flinched. Ryou was lifted from Moonlight's chest. Yami Bakura winced when Ryou's full weight pressured on his arms and ankles. Moonlight wheezed and looked at the process. The acid began to eat his lungs. He began to cough up blood.

Touzokuou pulled Yami Bakura and Ryou over the rim with a furious scream. Ryou rolled over the floor until he banged into Yami's legs. King Yami was looking at Moonlight's death throes with a look of sad frustration on his tanned face. His friend was in pain and he could not help him.

Moonlight suddenly made a jerk with his body and clutched at his throat. He could not breathe any more. His hand fell into the green acid and was dissolved. Moonlight tried to scream, but no sound came from his mouth. All that was left of his left arm were white bones. Blood squirted from the stump of his arm. Ryou could not look at it and turned away, afraid he would get sick. Yugi hid his face in Yami's side. Even Yami Bakura couldn't look at it.

Moonlight's purple eyes opened widely when the acid ate his heart. His body fell silent. Ryou heard the splashing noise the dying Shadow Soul had created stop and looked into the hole. He should not have done that. He saw the muscles on Moonlight's chest were eaten away and the ribs were visible. He saw the acid corrode Moonlight's face. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't. Eventually everything left of the strong Egyptian was a skeleton wearing a skirt with a blue waistband and another blue stripe on it. A weak sigh escaped Ryou's mouth and he fell onto his side.

* * *

Pretty gross, huh?

My God, Marco Borsato on the radio... (sticks her fingers in her ears)

Moonlight: Urgh... acid?

Ryou-Ran: Yep! Guarantees a slow and painful death!

Ryou: You know, you just sound like one of those TV-commercials: "This product guarantees clean floor without any pains."

Ryou-Ran: Quiet, Ryou. You did one of those commercials yourself, remember? (Dutch Ryou did a commercial for Swiffer about a year ago)

Ryou: (lower-lip trembles, ears are filled with tears)

Ryou-Ran: (eyes begin to water too) Sorry, Ryou! I didn't mean that! (hugs Ryou)

Ryou: Sob... R-really?

Ryou-Ran: Yes, of course!

Ryou & Ryou-Ran: (hold each other) WAAAHAAAH! (anime-fountains of tears)

Touzokuou: --"

Moonlight: (big puppy eyes) Would you look at that... (tender sigh)

Yugi: --"

King Yami: I have never seen anything like that before.

Yami Bakura: Ra up in heaven... This is unbelievable! (rolls eyes)

Ryou: Please review... sniff... sob... (gives you THE look)


	4. Death of a Ruler

And another chapter. My Ra, I'm so sorry I haven't updated sooner, but I've had lots of things with school... this week I'm having five test papers, for Mathematics, French, German, English and Biology. There are threehundred words to learn for French... No problem, a while ago I learned sixhundred in half an hour and got eight out of ten.

Has anyone seen Shark Tale already? It came out of the seventh in the Netherlands and I badly want the Ditch version on DVD. The name of the Dutch version is somewhat different; the English version is called "Shark Tale" and the Dutch one "Shark Tale Haaiensnaaier". Haaiensnaaier means "Shark-shredder". There are three YGO-voices in that movie... Fred Meyer (Mako), Theckla Grootenkamp (Téa), and Rolf Koster (RYOU!). Ryou plays Lenny, one of the mains! YEEPEEE!

Ryou: Well, I'm glad you like me.

Ryou-Ran: Of course I like you! (hugs Ryou)

Yami Bakura: (eagerly) Do you love me too?

Ryou-Ran: Of course, my sweetest Yami Bakura! (hugs Ybakura too)

Yami Bakura: (blushes) Heeh heeh heeh... Shall we go and drink some blood somewhere tonight? (flutters his eyelashes in a Miho-way)

Ryou-Ran: I'm sorry, but I'm just a mortal. Mortals get sick when they drink blood.

Yami Bakura: I can always kill you. There'll be enough room in my Ring for another soul...

Ryou-Ran: OO" Look, it's Shaadi! With his two Items!

Yami Bakura: YEEEAH! And off we go! (runs through the wall)

Shaadi: AAAAAAH! (runs away)

Touzokuou: --"

Moonlight: Is anyone going to be killed?

Ryou-Ran: Yeeaahhh... I guess...

Moonlight: Who?

Ryou: Me?

Ryou-Ran: Maybe.

Touzokuou: (goes mad) WHO?! TELL ME!

Ryou: Wooh, calm down!

Touzokuou: I'M CALM! (grunt, pant, gasp)

Moonlight: (knocks him out with sledge)

Touzokuou: XX

Moonlight: He is.

Ryou-Ran: Who's going to do the disclaimer?

King Yami: I am! Ryou-Ran does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! and those kinds of things.

Notice: Moonlight's slimy behaviour towards Yami and King Yami is not to be taken seriously.

Death of a Ruler

Yugi grabbed Ryou and shook him. Ryou's head rolled around. He did not wake up. Yami Bakura was a little paler than usual and rubbed his painful shoulders. Touzokuou sat near the hole and looked at the bones of the dead Shadow Soul. Yami and King Yami were standing near each other, not knowing what to say.

A bright flash of light lit up, again Moonlight came back alive. But this time he fell onto his knees and then on the floor. King Yami knelt down besides him and turned him to his back. Moonlight's eyed were half-closed and his face had ashened. He did not appear to recognise the face of the Pharaoh. "Moonlight, it's me! The Pharaoh!"King Yami said. "What is wrong with you?" Moonlight's eyes opened a little wider. "I... I did not get the chance to rest..."he weakly said. "I died too often without having rested. It drained me of my powers." Ryou had woken up and sat down besides Moonlight. He slapped his arms around his back and helped him sit up. "Everything will be just fine, Moonlight."he softly said. Moonlight lay a hand on Ryou's leg.

Suddenly he saw two thin, blue legs in front of his face. When he looked up he saw a blue uniform-jacket, a white T-shirt, the Millennium Ring and above that all a cruel face surrounded by white hair. The brown eyes were full of contempt. "Wy don't we just leave him here?"the face coldly asked, looking down at Moonlight. "He lost his powers. He's useless to us." Moonlight felt Ryou's grip tighten around him. King Yami's eyes shot fire. "He is one of us and we will not leave either of us behind!"he snarled. "But he'll just be in our way!"Yami Bakura protested.

"Think of the things he did for you!"a not so loud, but clear voice said. Yami Bakura looked down in surprise. The person who had said it was his Yadonushi. Ryou looked up at him with a grim expression on his delicate face. "Count your blessings. Moonlight is one of ours." Moonlight looked up at the usually submissive boy. He, Moonlight, had physically protected Ryou, but now Ryou was protecting _him_ with words. Yami Bakura was too stupified to say a word, so Ryou just continued his sermon. "Moonlight protected us from the Ancient Warriors."he said, his voice still soft. "He sacrificed himself over and over again to find out where the holes were so we would not fall in and die. He suffered pain, but only thought about the pain we would _not_ have to suffer thanks to him. And you want to leave him behind?" Everybody looked at him in surprise. Ryou had touched the hearts of the Yugis. Yami Bakura was pissed and Touzokuou was amused, wondering what the reaction of the evil Yami would be. "My Yadonushi does not tell me what to do, Bakura!"Yami Bakura bellowed, accidentally spitting in Moonlight's face. Ryou looked up at him, still with that grim face. "I do not tell you what to do, I just try to change your mind. Can we now go on? I would like to leave this place as soon as possible."he calmly said. He and King Yami carefully hauled the bewildered Moonlight to his feet and helped him walk. Yugi looked up at Ryou with an impressed look on his round face. Yami Bakura stomped behind them with a face like a bull with a nail through his hoove and Touzokuou was suffering from a silent fit of laughter.

No more holes were on their way and soon they reached the piramid. There was some kind of arena in front of it. Moonlight sank to the floor and took a breather. Yami Bakura threw him angry looks. Yami walked to the center of the arena. "What are we supposed to do here?"he asked. Joey's face appeared behind the big window. "The book says you'll have to fight the Ancient Protector of the Piramid of Ra."he said. "I don't know what that is supposed to mean." "Hhuhhh! I don't like the sound of that!"Yugi told Ryou. Ryou looked at Moonlight. "Do you have any idea about what that Protector is supposed to be?"he asked. He saw Moonlight shivered a bit. "The Protector is a fearsome creature that kills everybody trying to enter Ra's sacred piramide."the Shadow Soul quietly said. "It can not be passed by ordinary mortals. The only people who have ever seen it were killed by it." Touzokuou had been nodding. "We aren't ordinary mortals."he said. "We have powers. I'll challenge it. You are too weak, you won't stand a chance." He walked to the center of the arena too. "Protector of the Piramid of Ra!"he blustered. "I, Touzokuou Bakura-Sama, Thief King Bakura, challenge you!"

The ground began to tremble. Touzokuou stepped back. At the center of the arena the sand began to move and formed a little mountain. A few antennae appeared, and then something that looked like an enormous insect with thick scales on its body. Everybody looked up at it in awe, exept for Yami Bakura and Touzokuou. Moonlight cringed when he saw the Protector appear.

Touzokuou, on the other hand, immediately rushed forward and hit the creature on the head with his fist. The blow would have killed an ordinary man, but Touzokuou only managed to twist his wrist. The Protector looked at Touzokuou with a thousand tiny eyes and touched his chest with its antennae. "Don't touch me."the Egyptian magician snapped, grabbed an antenna and broke it. Immediately the enormous creature reared in pain and kicked Touzokuou away. "Watch out!"King Yami cried. "It is angry!" Touzokuou got up. "Well, you are telling me nothing I don't know, Pharaoh!"he shouted. "And I've got news for you too: I'm angry too!" He formed a circle with his hands and fired off a big black ball that hit the Protector on its chest. The thick scales absorbed all the energy. Touzokuou growled and fired another ball, but that was absorbed too.

"He can never win..."Moonlight said. "Nobody can beat the Protector!" Ryou had been standing behind him. "Touzokuou is strong."he said. "Maybe he can beat him." Moonlight shook no. His gaze darkened. "He can't! Nobody can withstand the divine powers of Ra's Protector."he said.

Touzokuou had observed the Protector and had noticed the creature was slow, thanks to its size. It lashed out at him with one of its legs, but Touzokuou jumped over it. Within a second he was standing at the Protector's side and began punching on a scale that did no look so thick, over and over again at the same spot. Soon there came a crack in it.

The Protector uttered a shriek and swung one of its arms in Touzokuou's direction. Touzokuou saw the arm too late. He jumped back, but the sharp claw on the end of the arm cut through the muscles on his chest and grazed his ribs. Touzokuou cried out in pain and shock and tried to run away. The others watched in horror how an enormous amount of blood oozed from the cut in his chest. Touzokuou fell, scrambled up again and ran in the direction of the Yamis, who backed away from him. The Protector followed.

Suddenly the thing fired a white fluid from its mouth. It hit Touzokuou's legs. Touzokuou got stuck and fell on his tormented chest. The white stuff was some kind of glue. The next moment he was stepped upon by the Protector.

The others could hear his ribs and spine crack. They saw Touzokuou's eyes bulge and saw blood exploding from his mouth. His white hair was colored pink. When the Protector withdrew its leg Touzokuou was dead. Yami Bakura quickly ran forward and pulled the broken man out of the arena. Moonlight looked at Touzokuou. "He could not win..."he sadly said.

"But we may be able to beat him, if we attack with the two of us."Yami said. He looked at Yami Bakura, who was boiling over with fury. The two Yamis nodded to each other and stepped out in the ring. "Yami, no!"Yugi cried. Yami raised his hand. "Somebody has got to do it!"he shouted. They faced the Protector. "We challenge you!"Yami bellowed. He took his cape off and threw it to Yugi, who caught it and covered Touzokuou's face and chest with it. "We'll make you pay for what you did to Touzokuou."Yami Bakura hissed. He had not forgotten Touzokuou's soul was his, though they were at the moment locked up in different bodies. Ryou looked down at Moonlight. Moonlight had closed his eyes and appeared to have fallen asleep, but Ryou saw the Shadow Soul clench his jaw when he heard Yami challenge the Protector.

The two Yamis activated their Millennium Items. The Protector was caught in a tower of golden light. It squirmed, but most of the energy was again absorbed by its scales. The insect raised its paws to hit Yami and Yami Bakura, but the two Yamis were too fast and evaded them easily. Again the used their Millennium Magic, but the creature had been prepared and made the attack return to the Yami it originated from. Both ancient Spirits were sent sprawling. Yami Bakura banged with his head into a rock and was dizzy for a few seconds, in which the Protector came closer to him. It wanted to plunge its paw in Yami Bakura's thin chest, but the next moment Yami had jumped on the back of the creature and grabbed the antena Touzokuou had broken before he died. He had his hand filled with sand and began to rub it in the broken end of the antenna. The Protector shrieked in pain and shook Yami off. Yami rolled over the floor and landed besides Yami Bakura, who had gotten up again. Yami Bakura activated his Millennium Ring, but before he could launch an attack the Protector emitted a high, penetrating sound.

Yami and Yami Bakura covered their ears and began screaming. Ryou watched in amazement. He did not feel anything. Neither did King Yami, Moonlight and Yugi. Moonlight had opened his eyes again and looked at the two disoriented Yamis that stumbled around, pushing their hands against their ears. "That's the Cry of the Protector."he said. "It only affects undead souls, like Yamis." Ryou looked at him. "It's something like nails scratching over a piece of smooth metal, but then worse."

The sound had stopped. Yami's knees buckled and he almost fell down. Yami Bakura looked up, his face dripping with sweat. "Oh, Ra! That wasn't fun!"he panted. Yami looked up at him. "Maybe this is a weird time to ask _Ra_ for help, don't you think?"he asked. Yami Bakura's hand went for the Ring around his neck. The pointers began to tremble. Then three of them pointed in the direction of the Protector, but two of them pointed at Ryou. The Ring hanging down Ryou's chest began to glow too. All the pointers directed at the Protector. Ryou uttered a shocked cry when a blue ray was emanated from both his and Yami Bakura's Ring. The beams hit the Protector in the eyes. The insect shrieked again and began swinging its paws frantically. The eyes had become white. The Protector was blind.

The Protector was blind, but it still had a sonar so he could sense Yami Bakura. It began to chase the Yami around the arena, but was slower than before. The attack had almost worn Yami Bakura out, so he just circled around the furious insect so Yami could attack it.

Yami's sharp eyes had noticed the place where Touzokuou Bakura-Sama had broken its armor. He focussed on the crack. He saw Yami Bakura was getting tired. He activated his Puzzle and his powers hit the broken scale.

The Protector made an unexpected move with its leg and slammed Yami Bakura against the ground. It turned to a shocked Yami. Yami tried to run for it, but once again the creature emitted the high, shrieking sound that had hurt both Yamis before. Now it concentrated all of its powers on Yami.

Yami screamed out, a scream that was drowned out by the sound the big bug produced. He reeled and fell onto his back. The Protector watched him fall. Yami Bakura quickly rushed over to him, picked him up and carried him out of the arena. "This is the end of the Pharaoh!"he harshly said and threw Yami to the floor. Everybody crowded around Yami's small form and looked at the tiny streamlet of blood that trickled from the corner of his mouth. "Ra, why are you doing this to us?"King Yami asked the sky. "Yamiii!"Yugi and Ryou cried. Yami Bakura said nothing, but slumped down, completely exhausted. "Nothing can beat that thing."he said.

Suddenly a reedy scream filled the air. Everybody spun around and saw it was Moonlight. The Shadow Soul was sitting on his knees in the sand and screamed the lungs out of his body. It was no scream of pain. It was a scream of deep, intense sadness. Moonlight scooped up a handful of sand and began to rub in it his own face. "No, Moonlight!"Ryou cried. "Don't do that!" Moonlight did not listen to him and rubbed his face with sand until it was covered with tiny scratches. He punched himself in the chest like a gorilla and tore his cloack into shreds.

"What is he doing?"Yugi asked. "His Pharaoh was killed and now he torments himself out of sadness."Yami Bakura answered. Moonlight pointed one of his bracelets to his face. He closed his eyes and then stuck it in his forehead, just above his left eye. He pulled the bracelet down, until he had drawn a bloody line that reached his lower jaw. Then he drew two little lines that crossed the main line. He had copied the scar he had on his right cheek. He hadn't flinched. Then he leapt up and wanted to walk in the direction of the arena, but Ryou jumped in front of him. "Don't do it, Moonlight!"he cried. "It will only hurt you! Nobody can beat that creature." Moonlight looked at him and showed his teeth. They were no longer human teeth, but the teeth of a cat, a predator. The pupils of his eyes had the shape of those of cats. His hair billowed around his shoulders like the mane of a lion. His thick muscles were trembling, filled with power that needed to be unleashed. His bronze skin was wet and slippery. The blood ran down his neck. Ryou looked at him with a begging look in his big brown eyes. "Please, Moonlight!"he pleaded. Moonlight pushed him aside and began walking on, but again Ryou blocked him the way. "I won't let you!"he shouted. His eyes were full of persevearance.

Moonlight hissed like a cat and lashed out. His fist hit Ryou in the chest. Ryou cried in pain and flew back, into King Yami's arms. He clutched at his chest and winced. Moonlight continued walking until he faced the Protector. The creature could not see him, but could smell the scent of Moonlight's blood. It lashed out at him with its claw. Moonlight leapt up high and landed on its back. The creature shook him off and kicked him. Moonlight rolled over the ground, but did not feel any pain. He stood again and reached out for the sky. The sky became dark. The sun disappeared and a round, silver moon appeared. Moonlight had used his Powers of Darkness to turn day into night. The moonlight lit up Moonlight's white hair and give it a mystical blue color. Moonlight's eyes were radiating a silver light, like the light of the moon. His hands formed a circle. He combined the Powers of Darkness with the power of the moonlight. It formed a big, silver ball between his hands. He fired the ball with a furious scream.

It hit the Protector on the head and drilled inself a way through its body. It uttered a last shriek and then died.

Moonlight collapsed and fell onto his side. Ryou coughed and immediately cried out again. A little bit of blood ran down his chin. King Yami took Ryou's shirt off and looked at the chest of the frail boy. He made his fingers run over Ryou's ribs. He felt three of them were broken and one of them had punctured Ryou's lung. Yugi ran over to Moonlight. Moonlight was trembling. The burning pain the wound in his cheek had caused him finally struck him. Yugi looked at the face of the Shadow Soul. Moonlight's eyes were cramped shut. His teeth were normal human teeth again. "What have I done?"he cried. "What have I done? I... I hurt Ryou... I..." Yugi stroked him over the hair. Moonlight was feeling really guilty. "It is all my fault!"he suddenly screamed. "I do not deserve to live!" Before Yugi could stop him he cut his own throat. His body numbed and fell in Yugi's arms. Yugi watched in shock as the blood of the Shadow Soul soaked his jacket.

"He'll come back."Yami Bakura shortly said. And he was right, Moonlight suddenly stirred in Yugi's arms. The wound on his cheek and the scratches on his face vanished. "Damn!"was the first thing he said. "I can't die!" Yami Bakura grabbed his stomach and broke into a howling laughter. Moonlight thanked Yugi and walked over to Ryou. Ryou looked up at him. His eyes were half-open and his fingernails were colored purple. His breathing rasped. King Yami held him in a tender grip. Moonlight looked down at Ryou with a look of pure sadness on his face. Then he fell to his knees and pressed his forehead in the sand. "Will you forgive me, Ryou?"he cried. "Please..." Ryou raised his hand, but it fell back on his chest again. "I under... understand."he rasped. Moonlight still pushed his face in the sand. "I did not want to hurt you!"he more or less sniffled, sounding miserable. "I know."Ryou answered. "Get... up!" Moonlight denied. "I'm not worth looking at you!"he whined.

Ryou did something completely unexpected; he raised his hand and gave Moolight a firm box on the ear, wherever Moonlight's ear would be. Moonlight looked up, reeling a bit. "Thank you, Ryou. I needed that."he said. Ryou breathed in deeply. "It... is... not.. your... fault."he panted. "And... if... if I die, you will be able to... to resurrect me again, because you were the one... that killed me." Moonlight looked at him. "Yes!"he said. "Unless..." Ryou weakly looked up at him. "Un... less... what?"he asked. Moonlight's gaze saddened. "Unless I vanish before I can resurrect you."he said. Ryou smiled vaguely. "Let's... just... hope... that... won't... hap... pen."he sighed.

King Yami held Ryou and heard the breath of the boy become fainter and fainter. Ryou had lost consciousness and was on his way out. Moonlight looked at him with a face full of guilt and sadness and held Ryou's hand. Yami Bakura paced around, looking tensed and on a moment kicked Yugi in the behind, just because he wanted to.

Ryou's breathing stopped. King Yami lay a hand in Ryou's thin neck and felt no heartbeat. He nodded at Moonlight, who immediately held two hands above Ryou's chest, closed his eyes and mumbled something. King Yami saw a blue light shining underneath Moonlight's eyelids and saw the big hands were radiating that light too. He saw the purple bruises on Ryou's chest disappear. Ryou began to breathe again and opened his eyes. "Don't move, Ryou."Moonlight said. "Moving will hurt you." Ryou nodded, but that minor motion made him cringe and groan already.

Moonlight stretched his hands out at the moon, like a little boy trying to grab it. His eyes reflected the silver moonlight. A ray of light fell on the moaning Ryou and lit up his features. His hair got that magical blue color too. The light cooled his hot forehead down and eased his pain. When Moonlight lowered his hands again Ryou had fallen asleep in King Yami's arms.

"My Ra! _My Ra_!"a harsh voice uttered. "We are supposed to be on a mission here and that boy takes a nap!" It was Yami Bakura and he was pretty pissed. Moonlight spun around with a start. A low "Grrr!" came from deep inside his throat. Yami Bakura was not impressed, walked around Ryou and tried to wake him up by jabbing him with his foot in the side. Ryou did not wake up. He was completely exhausted. King Yami sent the Yami a death glare, but Yami Bakura was dead already.

Yugi had been sniffing at Yami's side, but suddenly gave a yell. "Look, Yami's alive!"he shouted. "But he doesn't wake up!" Everybody but Ryou and Yami Bakura rushed over to the Yami and knel down besides him. Moonlight fell onto his knees. "Thank you, Ra!"he chanted, but Yugi gave him a jab in the arm. "Didn't Joey say the Yamis would come back after having been killed?"he asked. Moonlight rubbed his chin and then lay a hand on the back of his head. "Oh, yes."he said. "I forgot." King Yami slapped Yami in the face, but Yami did not stirr. Yami Bakura came to stand near them. "Don't forget the blonde guy said we would lose our powers after having been killed."he sharply said. "He will not wake up."

King Yami got up. "Alright. Let's enter the piramid. Moonlight, you carry Bakura-Kun, then I'll carry Yami."he said. He tried to pick Yami up, but the Yami was a dead weight in his arms. "Alright, alright! I'll do it!"Yami Bakura snapped, picked Yami up and swung him over his shoulder. "What about Touzokuou?"Yugi asked. They looked at the spot where Touzokuou had been. A red stain was all that was left of him. "He would disappear, remember?"Moonlight said. "Let's go before we run out of time." He took the peacefully sleeping Ryou in his arms. Together they went to the piramid.

* * *

Aw, isn't that cute, a sleeping Ryou?

Damn, now I forgot to check if there is any Bakura-participation in the YGO-movie. I went to the Lido-studio, the Luxor-cinema and the Trianon-cinema to find out about Haaiensnaaier, but I had forgotten to see if Rolf's name was written among the starring-list of the YGO-movie. If there's no Bakura-activity there's no YGO for me too.

Yami Bakura: And for just once everything depends on us Bakuras! (is proud)

Ryou-Ran: Yes, just for once. Though I'm pretty sure Rolf will be in YGO anyway. He does so many voices everywhere...

Touzokuou: Sigh...

Moonlight: What's the problem, Touzo?

Touzokuou: I'm dead.

Moonlight: Yes, that is so.

Touzokuou: It ain't fun.

Moonlight: I know. I've died many times.

Ryou-Ran: Chin up, Touzokuou! I'm sure you will show up again!

Touzokuou: R-really?

Ryou-Ran: Of course!

Touzokuou: Thank you! (wraps his arms around Moonlight's neck) WAAAHAAAH!

Moonlight: OO"

Ryou: zzz

Ryou-Ran: Isn't he just CUTE!

Please review!


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